It’s nice to see that people are able to think outside the box and come up with a practical and logical plan. I’m referring to a Michigan pastor who is trying to reach out to young people who don’t feel completely comfortable visiting church or attending mass.
Rev. Steve Bentley started his church with the belief that mainstream religion has become ineffective. This is a theory that I read about years ago. Churches are closing, and attendance is down. Young people are not attending church to the same degree that their parents did.
So, Rev. Bentley opened up Serenity Tattoo – right inside the church. The church is located in a shopping center and two artists work there by appointment.
Bentley said he understands some people are not crazy about the idea of Serenity Tattoo inside the church, but the pastor considers tattooing a “morally neutral” practice.
I am not a fan of religion but I still think this guy has a great idea. One of the artists is a recovering alcoholic and finds that working in the church helps him stay on the right track.
The seniors in the church may not be happy about the tattoo infusion in their church, but I would bet it was a hit with anyone under 30 years old. Why not find new ways to attract young people?
Snake Yates (he legally changed his in the ‘80s) is well known amongst tattoo artists. He was born and raised in Colorado Springs and was one of the first artists in the state. He still owns Snake’s Tattoo shop in Colorado Springs. He’s now 62 years old and has been tattooing for over 40 years. And now Yates is becoming well known for his talent for restoring old dental chairs to be used in tattoo shops!
Dental chairs are the perfect choice for tattoo work because of their various adjustment choices and their maneuverability. Yates said using one of these was a real back saver and although he tried to properly care for his chairs, they eventually wore out. The upholstery would get ruined because of the chemicals needed to clean it.
After spending big money getting his chairs repaired again and again, Yates bought an upholstery machine and so began a second career. After years of repairing his own chairs, he now collects and repairs them. He buys chairs from local dentists, old dental offices in Mexico, or scavenges them from dental suppliers. Other artists have gotten wind of his talent and will hire him to repair their tattoo chairs.
Yates has now expanded his skills to include wheelchair repairs. Nice to see someone is restoring a useful piece when we’re so used to chucking anything and everything that wears out or breaks.
If you’re a fan of Paul Booth chances are you’ll like Ryan Gillikin. Gillikin was recently featured on Weird News because of the oddities he collects and displays in his tattoo shop. Gillikin and his wife have owned the shop, Almighty Studios, for ten years and both are fans of body modification. Gillikin has horns and a surgically bifurcated (split) tongue which helps add to the atmosphere he’s going for with his collection.
Some of the items Ryan has on display in his shop include a pickled hand, an original piece of artwork by John Wayne Gacy, and a mummified cat. Creepy, dark stuff.
Part of his collection will be featured on the show “Oddities” which is shown on the Science Channel. It’s about a ventriloquist’s dummy that is thought to be possessed. Dummies, dolls, and clowns – they all freak me out.
I credit the popularity of tattoos partly in due to the tattoo shops who realized the potential of reaching out to mainstream America by bringing the tattoo shops to them. By that I’m referring to the influx of tattoo shops in places like strip malls. Locations that make it easier for people from all walks of life to easily stroll into a shop and take a look around. At one time, tattoo shops were rare and usually located in the sleazier or funkier part of town. Areas of town that many never visit or would have any other reason to be near. The strip malls are more of a suburb sighting and makes tattoo shops more visible and easier to visit. Where I live, there are a few tattoo shops located in strip malls. Smart business. People that are stopping to pick up a few groceries can easily venture in to see what all the excitement is about tattoos. continue reading
Just watching this woman for 2 minutes will make you want to reach through your computer screen and bitch slap her!! – It’s hard to tell if she’s under the influence of anything – I hope so because otherwise she is this obnoxious while straight and sober. I think the tattoo artist is VERY patient with her. Wonder how the story ended….
I know that people are on both sides of the fence when it comes to laws and government interference in our lives but when you hear this story, you’ll be thanking your local authorities if they are diligent about enforcing laws regulating your local tattoo parlors.
In a small seaside town located in Lancashire, England, a problem has arisen concerning the town tattoo parlors. They have the right laws in place. You have to be 18 or over to get a tattoo. But local parents have been complaining to the local authorities about the fact that underage kids are able to go into these resort shops and get body art done. Some of these kids are as young as 14 years old!
Due to all the parent’s complaints, a change in policy is planned. The scariest part of this whole story isn’t the fact that they are tattooing these young kids, but there have been over ten complaints filed in the past year about the hygiene practices of these tattoo parlors. Although these complaints have been coming in for the past year, the authorities are just now deciding to come down hard and enforce the law. continue reading
